Look out for colouring additives in food

It's not only the colour of egg yolks which is manipulated to make them look more attractive to consumers.

Chart from Kitchen Table Scraps. The same additives are used by fish farmers. Wild salmon forage for crustaceans, plankton and algae that contain naturally occurring colourful carotenoid plant pigments. Farmed salmon, are fed an artificial soy- and corn-based diet devoid of these natural pigments, which means their flesh has little colour. To prevent consumer rejection of the product, salmon farmers add canthaxanthin and astaxanthin to the fish feed to boost the colour. Meat producers also use a few tricks to make their products more appealing – such as bleaching chicken to make the flesh white, even though colouring additives have often been included in the diet to produce yellow skins which some producers think is wanted by consumers. Frequently red meat is sealed in airtight packages treated with carbon monoxide to maintain a bright red colour for weeks. The best solution is to limit shopping in supermarkets to household items like toilet paper. Toothpaste and cleaning products. Buy all fresh food from trusted suppliers – butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers.

Consumers duped by big businesses

Most of the meat and eggs sold in Australian supermarkets come from intensive production facilities (you can't call them farms).Consumers eagerly buy beef labelled 'Grain fed' and believe they are getting a superior product. The reality is that they are missing out on the full flavour of grass fed cattle.The same thing applies to eggs. Supermarkets only stock eggs from large producers even though some labels claim they are 'free range'. Since a political decision allowing an outdoor stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare, the whole labelling question has been a joke. Producers have shown that they will put anything on their packaging if they think it will help to boost profits so they won't hesitate to put false stocking density claims on their labels because the politicians failed to ensure that such claims would be checked. Food grown naturally usually has better flavour and more nutrients compared with the intensive alternatives - that goes for vegetables as well as meat, fish and eggs.

Colouring in poultry feed creates allergic reactions

All major egg producers and many small ones - even those which claim to be free range and organic - use colouring additives in the feed they give their hens. Their use is completely unnecessary in a free range flock, as hens running on quality pasture and at low stocking densities will obtain enough carotenoids from the green feed in the paddock to maintain good yolk colour. The colour will vary – depending on the time of year and what each hen has been eating – but many egg producers want to con consumers by using additives to provide consistent, bright yolk colour. Many of those additives are synthetic - adding to the chemical cocktail mix in food. But even those which are claimed to be 'natural' are manufactured in factories – often in China. What the manufacturers mean by using the word 'natural' is that the additives may be derived from natural products but are processed and concentrated into a powder or liquid.

Some of the most widely used egg yolk pigmenters are: Canthaxanin or Canthaxanthin which appears to be an unsafe additive. It can cause diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, dry and itchy skin, hives, orange or red body secretions, and other side effects. Do not use canthaxanthin if you experience breathing problems; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat; a skin rash or hives; you are pregnant or breast-feeding or you are allergic to vitamin A or carotenoids. Capsicum. Allergic reactions to capsicum may occur. Stop eating eggs with capsicum-based colouring and seek emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives. Other less serious side effects have also been reported. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider if you experience upset stomach; heartburn; diarrhoea; migraine attacks or burning sensation in the mouth or throat. Use of Capsicum is not recommended if you are pregnant. If you are or will be breast-feeding while eating food containing Capsicum, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to young children. Capsicum colourings can bring on anaphylactic shock. See details about which plants generate these problems on this site at the University of Maryland: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/anaphylaxis-000008.htm Marigold Some people experience breathing problems, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat. A skin rash or hives may occur. From the Auckland Allergy Clinic Article written: September 2001 Salicylate sensitivity is the body’s inability to handle more than a certain amount of salicylates at any one time. A salicylate sensitive person may have difficulty tolerating certain fruits or vegetables. What are salicylates? Salicylate is a natural chemical made by many plants. It is chemically related to aspirin, which is a derivative of salicylic acid. It is believed the plant uses it as protection from insects, and they are everywhere around us. Although natural salicylates are found in wholesome foods, some individuals have difficulty tolerating even small amounts of them. The reaction to a natural salicylate can be as severe as that to a synthetic additive if the person is highly sensitive. Some people are troubled by only a very few, but some are troubled by all of them. What is salicylate sensitivity? Some adults and children have a low level of tolerance to salicylates and may get symptoms that are dose-related. The tolerated amount varies from one person to another. This is an example of food intolerance. What are some of the symptoms of Salicylate Intolerance? • Chronic Urticaria & Angioedema • Trigger for Eczema • Asthma • Nasal Polyps • Sinusitis • Rhino conjunctivitis • Stomach aches and upsets Foods containing Salicylates Salicylates occur naturally in many fruits, and vegetables as a preservative, to prevent rotting and protect against harmful bacteria and fungi. They are stored in the bark, leaves, roots, and seeds of plants. Salicylates are found naturally in many foods and its compounds are used in many products. All fresh meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cereals, bread are naturally low in salicylates Foods with very high Salicylate content include: Vegetables: Capsicum Hot Peppers Capsaicin is the active component of Capsicum. Pure capsaicin is a volatile, hydrophobic, colourless, odourless, crystalline to waxy compound. Capsaicin Factsheet http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/Capsaicintech.pdf A UK report on The Adverse Effects of Food Additives on Health, published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine described surveys on food intolerance which showed that as many as 2 in 10 people believe that they react badly to certain foods or to their constituents, whereas less than 2 in every 100 has been considered to be the official figure. However, a recently published report indicates that small children are much more likely to react to certain foods. Although the exact numbers are not known, surveys suggest that one child in 10 may be affected in some way Of the nearly 4000 different additives currently in use, over 3640 are used purely for cosmetic reasons and as colouring agents. The continued reason for the use of additives is based on the argument that they are present in foods on such a minute scale that they must be harmless. This argument may be almost acceptable regarding additives with a reversible toxicological action. However, with additives which have been found to be both mutagenic and carcinogenic, neither the human nor animal body is able to detoxify. Therefore even very minute doses of these additives, when consumed continuously, will eventually result in an irreversible toxic burden, resulting finally in cancer formation and/or in chromosomal and foetal damage. This is unacceptable, particularly as the majority of these dangerous agents belong to the food colouring group. The full report is available here: http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1994/articles/1994-v09n04-p225.shtml An allergy is a hypersensitity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is formally called type 1 hypersensitivity. Allergic reactions are distinctive because of excessive activation of certain white blood cells. Mild allergies like hay fever are very common in humans but allergies can play a major role in conditions such as asthma. In some people, severe allergies to environmental or dietary allergens may result in life-threatening reactions called anaphylaxis. From a Food Additive Guide http://mbm.net.au/health/100-181.htm E160(c) Paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin Capsanthin, found in paprika extract, is a red to orange coloured spice derived from the pods and seeds of the red pepper (Capsicum annuum). Contains vitamins A, B, C and traces of Zn, Cu, Se, Co, Mo, etc. Paprika extract also contains capsanthin. Capsanthin may be added to poultry feed to enhance egg yolk colour. Typical products include eggs, meat products. Not listed in Australia. Avoid it.

Sustainable free range farming

The Freeranger Eggs farm is an example of sustainable farming. The farm management plan takes a three pillars approach to how the farm operates. Animal welfare is one pillar, but equally important are land sustainability and food safety. Despite all the political bickering in Canberra over emissions trading scheme targets, some small businesses have been playing their part in addressing the problem. Freeranger Eggs has been getting on with mitigating the impact of carbon emissions. The farm's carbon footprint is limited by imposing a food miles policy for deliveries, using recycled materials and equipment whenever possible, utilising solar power and mechanical processes and an effective waste reduction programme. As a result, the 1200-chicken farm generates only about 60 tonnes of CO2 each year. But it is better than carbon neutral, it is carbon positive. The average organic matter in soil tests was 4.1 per cent in 2004, in 2006 it was 6.0 per cent, and in 2009 it was 7.9 percent. Calculations based on 2-inch deep samples, show that over those five years the farm sequestered about 14 tons of CO2 per acre or four tonnes of carbon per acre on the grasslands. Further testing and calculations have not been carried out because there has been a total lack of interest in the results.

The farm applies no chemical fertilisers, herbicides, or pesticides. This policy increases the biological life in the soil and increases the rate of carbon sequestration. Rotational grazing is practised on the pastures – taking advantage of photosynthesis to pull CO2 into the plants and then into the roots from where it transfers to the soil. In addition, every year at least another tonne of CO2 per acre continues to be sequestered by the regular growth and replacement of Kangaroo Apples in the main paddocks. Native vegetation has been protected on approximately 100 acres of the property and regeneration there sequesters a further tonne of CO2 per acre. This brings a grand total of 1500 tonnes of CO2 sequestered on this property over five years – an average rate of 300 tonnes per year compared with the farm's carbon output of around 60 tonnes. On days of full sun the solar panels on the farm shed generate 13-17kW of electricity a day and as on average the farm consumes just 10kW a day it helps the bottom line. Freeranger Eggs gained international recognition in 2012 as the Australian winner of the Energy Globe Award.

More people want to set up free range farms

We are getting more requests about running workshops from people wanting to set up sustainable free range farms. The extra activity has been brought on by the stupid political decision to allow consumers to be misled by industrial-scale egg producers who are now legally allowed to label their eggs as free range.

Some of the enquiries are from existing family farmers looking for ways to diversify. On-farm workshops have worked well in the past where we have demonstrated how to operate a sustainable farm producing top quality eggs but the workshops tend to disrupt day-to-day farm activities, as well as presenting biosecurity risks, which is why we have been trying to set up a series of on-line webinars to encourage more people into the industry.https://www.gofundme.com/2tar52c Our eBook on setting a free range business is readily available and members of the Freeranger Club are able to download information from our website which helps them set up and run their businesses.

Hens are enjoying the sun and warmer conditions

Our flocks of Isa Brown's are getting over the wet,windy conditions of the last few week and enjoying the sun. A drop in egg production is inevitable on genuine free range farms during cold, wet times with less daylight hours. The only way to avoid the problem is to lock the hens in climate controlled sheds like most other egg producers.

Our egg production is slowly building and we should be back to normal deliveries very soon.

Research shows animal welfare is not the main reason consumers choose free range eggs

Taste and nutritional values are the major drivers for decisions to choose free range eggs rather than those from hens kept in cages. That's been a view we have held for years, but now there is research to prove it: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2017.1310986

Search engine rankings

Almost every day we receive emails from companies offering Search Engine Optimisation services. They tell us that they can increase traffic to our website and increase our sales. I have no doubt that these clever souls could increase the number of visitors to the Freeranger Eggs site but there is no way that would result in increased sales – because we don't have any extra eggs to sell. We sell out completely every week. So all it would mean is that we would have to say 'NO' more often to disappointed potential customers.

Dealing with the risk of Avian Influenza

Good biosecurity measures are vital on any poultry farm to reduce the spread of many diseases - particularly serious ones such as Avian Influenza. It is generally a matter of commonsense and putting the right procedures in place. The Vietnam government has produced a booklet advising farmers and the points are relevant here in Australia. http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/206313/AImanual_vietnam_en.pdf

The risk of disease is highest on intensive farms with large numbers of hens. The only AI outbreaks in Australia have been on intensive properties. In a genuine free range environment where hens are in small numbers and have unrestricted access to pasture, disease outbreaks are uncommon if effective biosecurity measures are in place.Many producers ask 'What are the signs of Avian Influenza?' The Vietnamese manual describes the symptoms well.The disease can appear suddenly in a flock, and many birds die quickly, often without having appeared sick. Or there may be signs of depression, little food intake, ruffled feathers and fever. Other birds show weakness and a staggering gait. Sick birds often sit or stand in a semi-comatose state with their heads touching the ground. Some animals, especially younger birds may show neurological signs. Hens may at first lay soft-shelled eggs, but soon stop laying. Combs and wattles are dark red to blue and swollen and may have pin-point haemorrhages at their tips. Watery diarrhea is frequently present, and birds are excessively thirsty. Respiration may be fast and laboured. Heamorrhages may occur on unfeathered areas of skin, especially the shanks of the legs. The mortality rate varies from 50% to 100%. The virus may not show any clinical signs or lesions.

World egg production set to hit 100 million tonnes

Outbreaks of avian influenza in many major egg-producing countries have reduced egg production expectations, but total world egg volumes will still reach 100 million tonnes by 2035. Since the year 2000 world egg production increased by 36.5 percent, or an average of 2.8 percent per year. In 2014, a laying flock of 7.2 billion hens produced almost 1,320 billion eggs worldwide, nearly 70 million tonnes. Of course, the majority of the eggs are from intensive operations with hens kept in climate - controlled sheds, mostly in cages.

Food Allergy Week in May

Eggs are often seen as a high risk factor for allergies and intolerances. The problem is usually caused by the colouring additives used by many producers to enhance yolk colour.

All major egg producers and many small ones - even those which claim to be free range and organic - use colouring additives in the feed they give their hens. Their use is completely unnecessary in a free range flock, as hens running on quality pasture and at low stocking densities will obtain enough carotenoids from the green feed in the paddock to maintain good yolk colour. The colour will vary – depending on the time of year and what each hen has been eating – but many egg producers want to con consumers by using additives to provide consistent, bright yolk colour. Many of those additives are synthetic - adding to the chemical cocktail mix in food. But even those which are claimed to be 'natural' are manufactured in factories – often in China. What the manufacturers mean by using the word 'natural' is that the additives may be derived from natural products but are processed and concentrated into a powder or liquid. All major egg producers and many small ones - even those which claim to be free range and organic, use colouring additives in the feed they give their hens. This use is completely unnecessary in a true free range flock, as hens running on quality pasture and at low stocking densities will obtain enough carotenoids from the green feed in the paddock to maintain good yolk colour. The colour will vary – depending on the time of year and what each hen has been eating – but many egg producers want to con consumers by using additives to provide consistent, bright yolk colour. Many of those additives are synthetic - adding to the chemical cocktail mix in food. But even those which are claimed to be 'natural' are manufactured in factories – often in China. What the manufacturers mean by using the word 'natural' is that the additives may be derived from natural products but are processed and concentrated into a powder or liquid. Three of the most widely used egg yolk pigmenters are: Canthaxanin or Canthaxanthin which appears to be an unsafe additive. It can cause diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, dry and itchy skin, hives, orange or red body secretions, and other side effects. Do not use canthaxanthin if you experience breathing problems; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat; a skin rash or hives; you are pregnant or breast-feeding or you are allergic to vitamin A or carotenoids. Capsicum Allergic reactions to capsicum may occur. Stop eating eggs with capsicum-based colouring and seek emergency medical attention if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives. Other less serious side effects have also been reported. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider if you experience upset stomach; heartburn; diarrhoea; migraine attacks or burning sensation in the mouth or throat. Use of Capsicum is not recommended if you are pregnant. If you are or will be breast-feeding while eating food containing Capsicum, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby. Capsicum colourings can bring on anaphylactic shock. See details about which plants generate these problems on this site at the University of Maryland: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/anaphylaxis-000008.htm Marigold Some people experience breathing problems, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat. A skin rash or hives may occur. From the Auckland Allergy Clinic Article written: September 2001 Salicylate sensitivity is the body’s inability to handle more than a certain amount of salicylates at any one time. A salicylate sensitive person may have difficulty tolerating certain fruits or vegetables. What are salicylates? Salicylate is a natural chemical made by many plants. It is chemically related to aspirin, which is a derivative of salicylic acid. It is believed the plant uses it as protection from insects, and they are everywhere around us. Although natural salicylates are found in wholesome foods, some individuals have difficulty tolerating even small amounts of them. The reaction to a natural salicylate can be as severe as that to a synthetic additive if the person is highly sensitive. Some people are troubled by only a very few, but some are troubled by all of them. What is salicylate sensitivity? Some adults and children have a low level of tolerance to salicylates and may get symptoms that are dose-related. The tolerated amount varies from one person to another. All fresh meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cereals, bread are naturally low in salicylates Foods with very high Salicylate content include: Vegetables: Capsicum Hot Peppers Capsaicin is the active component of Capsicum. Pure capsaicin is a volatile, hydrophobic, colourless, odourless, crystalline to waxy compound.

More evidence of political stupidity(or corruption) on 'free range' definition

There is now more evidence about the stupidity (or corruption) of the various State Ministers for Consumer Affairs and the Federal Minister for Small Business who approved the new high density standard for free range egg production. There was no science behind the decision to allow a stocking density of10,00 hens per hectare, which is well beyond the bounds of possible land sustainability see here No comments:

Effective vaccines for avian influenza in poultry not yet available

Vaccines have been developed to combat avian influenza in poultry and bird flu in humans. But scientists are reluctant to approve the mass vaccination of chickens because they believe it may not reduce the risk of infection. The vaccines appear to mask the symptoms so poultry keepers may not be aware that their birds are infected. This could allow the virus to spread widely and may cross over to humans. The vaccines developed for humans seem to be more effective in controlling the effects of bird flu.

Low stocking densities and quality feed are keys to good bird health

High levels of production and efficient feed conversion are needed if egg farms are to survive. Free range farms are able to maintain effective disease control when low stocking densities are maintained. It's essential for poultry health to provide high quality natural feed and clean water. A protein content of around 18% is required for hen health and good production. Organic acids and their salts have been used in poultry diets and drinking water for decades and seem to elicit a positive response in health and performance. An important objective of dietary acidification is the inhibition of intestinal bacteria competing for available nutrients, and a reduction of possible toxic bacteria resulting in better nutrient digestibility.

New standards don't lift free range egg numbers in the marketplace

The Australian Government's standards for free range egg labelling do nothing to meet consumer expectations about what 'free range' means. They certainly don't increase the numbers of free range eggs in the marketplace. They simply protect unscrupulous operators from prosecution by the ACCC when they label intensively produced eggs as 'free range'. The guidelines allow an outdoor stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare which is many times the limits of land sustainability – or of consumer expectations.